Reivan hadn’t planned on spending his evening tracking down his closest—and most annoyingly secretive—ally, but here he was, ducking through side streets like some second-rate rogue.

  Sylpkx had vanished earlier that day, slipping away with the kind of subtlety that suggested she didn’t want him following. Which, naturally, only made him more determined to do exactly that. The problem with spending too much time around him was that she should have known better. He was nothing if not persistent.

  His first lead had been an informant who had required a small bribe. The second had required a significantly larger bribe. By the time he reached the abandoned section of the city where she was holed up, he was out of patience and rapidly losing faith in his personal finances.

  He found her inside a dimly lit warehouse, sitting across from a cloaked figure whose posture suggested the kind of cautious wariness that spoke of old grudges and unfinished business. Reivan considered his approach carefully. He could charge in dramatically, making his presence known and probably ruining whatever subtle plan she had. Or, he could wait, listen, and gather information before making his move.

  He chose a third option: loudly kicking the door open.

  “Ah, there you are! I was beginning to think you got lost. Or worse—forgot to invite me to whatever illegal meeting this is.”

  Sylpkx turned, her golden eyes flashing with something between annoyance and amusement. “I was going to tell you.”

  Reivan tilted his head. “Were you?”

  She exhaled through her nose, which he knew was as close as she’d get to admitting guilt. The cloaked figure—who was rapidly trying to gauge whether Reivan’s arrival meant they were about to be arrested or stabbed—stayed silent, watching the exchange unfold.

  Reivan turned his attention to them. “And you are?”

  The figure hesitated before speaking. “A friend.”

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  “See, that’s the kind of answer that makes me more suspicious, not less,” Reivan said, stepping forward. “Try again, but this time, with more specifics and fewer ominous undertones.”

  The stranger hesitated again, then glanced at Sylpkx, who gave them a barely perceptible nod. They removed their hood, revealing sharp beastkin features similar to Sylpkx’s own, though weathered by age and experience.

  “I am Loryn,” the figure said. “I serve the Ironfang Clan.”

  Reivan sighed. “Of course you do. And let me guess, you’re not here for casual conversation?”

  Loryn’s gaze flicked between them. “I came to deliver a warning.”

  Sylpkx’s expression darkened, and Reivan felt the weight of something unspoken between them. He wasn’t going to like this, was he?

  “Khaedros isn’t trying to make Sylpkx a ruler,” Loryn continued. “He’s trying to remove her as an option altogether.”

  Well, fantastic.

  Reivan ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Let’s go ahead and skip the part where we pretend to be shocked. Why?”

  “He sees her as a problem,” Loryn said simply. “A living remnant of a past that should have died out. If the clans unite under his leadership, the empire will have no choice but to recognize them as a force of power. If Sylpkx remains, her bloodline is a challenge to his legitimacy.”

  Reivan let that sink in before turning to Sylpkx. “So, just to clarify: he doesn’t want you to rule, he wants you to disappear. Would’ve been nice to know that before I started turning down diplomatic alliances in the name of personal loyalty.”

  Sylpkx smirked. “You love it.”

  “I hate it. Deeply. Passionately. With every fiber of my being.”

  Loryn’s lips twitched, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he stood, pulling his hood back up. “You should both be careful. If Khaedros has set his sights on removing threats, he won’t stop with Sylpkx.”

  Reivan nodded. “Yeah, I got that part. Thanks for the ominous warning, truly. Very helpful.”

  Loryn gave Sylpkx a look that seemed to carry an entire conversation’s worth of unspoken words before slipping into the shadows and disappearing from view.

  Reivan crossed his arms. “You want to tell me why you thought running off alone to meet an informant with ties to a guy who wants you dead was a good idea?”

  Sylpkx rolled her eyes. “I can handle myself.”

  “I know. I’d just rather not have to avenge you because of an unnecessary risk.”

  She studied him for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. Next time, I’ll tell you first.”

  Reivan clutched his chest dramatically. “You mean it? You really mean it? I’m touched. Emotional, even.”

  Sylpkx snorted. “I take it back.”

  Reivan grinned, but the weight of what they had learned lingered. Khaedros wasn’t just a political opponent now—he was an active threat. And that meant they needed to start planning their next move before he made his.